Introduction by Herwig Wandschneider

It is my privilege to introduce to this year’s second plaque-award dedicated to a Pioneer family of long standing in the community
The Schreiter Family.

The Schreiters first arrived in Waterloo County, when AG (Alvin) Schreiter, immigrated to the Region from Bautzen, Germany, in the late 1800’s.

By the turn of the Century, AG Schreiter had built a Furniture and Funeral Business, which he later separated into a Furniture Store and a Funeral Home.

The Funeral Home was acquired by Arthur Sandrock in 1939, and was then renamed the Schreiter-Sandrock Funeral Home and Chapel, now associated with the Alderwoods Group.

The furniture business flourished simultaneously with the Funeral business as "Schreiter’s Furniture Store Ltd" in downtown Kitchener. Alvin left this part of the business to his sons Armand and Herbert, and when they had both passed away, Herbert’s sons William and Jack Schreiter continued the business. At least 2 of William’s 8 children grew up in the business, specifically Paul and Jamie Schreiter, and when William officially retired at the end of 2002, he passed the management reigns to Jamie.

The Schreiter Family has left its mark on Kitchener-Waterloo in more than one business and in spite of Mega Stores all around the area, the family furniture business continues its presence to this day. It is the only surviving family–owned furniture store originating in the 19^th century in this area.

Today it gives us great pleasure to recognize the Schreiter Family as outstanding German Pioneers of this Region and are happy to have Jamie Schreiter of the Schreiter Furniture Store here to accept a 2003 German Heritage Pioneers Award on behalf of the Schreiter Family.

Presenter of the Pioneer Award to the Schreiter Family is Tony Bergmeier, President of the national Deutsch-Kanadischer Kongress (German-Canadian Congress) and I now ask Mssrs. Bergmeier and Schreiter to step forward for the Awards Presentation.